Hybrid Plasma-Based Energy Generation System: A Disruptive Approach to Sustainable Power and Hydrogen Production

Hybrid Plasma-Based Energy Generation System: A Disruptive Approach to Sustainable Power and Hydrogen Production | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Hybrid Plasma-Based Energy Generation System: A Disruptive Approach to Sustainable Power and Hydrogen Production Iñaki Del Amo Castillo This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-6228418/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract The transition to sustainable and high-efficiency energy systems is imperative in addressing the global energy crisis, climate change, and geopolitical uncertainties. This paper presents a novel hybrid plasma-based energy generation system, designed to surpass the limitations of conventional nuclear and renewable energy technologies by integrating: 1. High-efficiency plasma-to-electricity conversion: Leveraging advanced plasma discharge mechanisms to achieve efficiencies exceeding 85%. 2. Residual thermal energy utilization for hydrogen production: Employing thermochemical processes to significantly reduce the energy intensity of hydrogen generation. 3. Large-scale energy storage through hydroelectric reservoir integration: Enhancing grid stability and mitigating intermittency challenges inherent to renewables. Computational simulations, thermodynamic modeling, and techno-economic analyses reveal that the proposed system achieves an energy density 15.6 times higher than conventional nuclear power plants, while operating with zero carbon emissions. Additionally, the integration of hydroelectric storage solutions optimizes energy dispatchability, reducing reliance on grid-based storage and fossil-fuel peaker plants. Economic feasibility assessments indicate that the system enables a rapid return on investment (ROI) of approximately 1.5 years, compared to the 10+ years typically required for nuclear infrastructure amortization. The lower capital cost per installed megawatt, coupled with modular scalability, positions this technology as a competitive alternative for large-scale power generation, particularly in industrial applications and national energy grids. The results underscore the disruptive potential of this technology in energy security, decarbonization, and long-term sustainability. This hybrid plasma system presents a viable pathway toward continuous, high-density, and cost-effective power generation, aligning with global energy transition strategies and the urgent need for carbon-neutral industrial solutions. Plasma Energy Hydrogen Economy Hydroelectric Storage Renewable Energy Energy Transition Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-6228418","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":516480561,"identity":"e19de783-7a7e-41d1-b418-242011dabc68","order_by":0,"name":"Iñaki Del Amo Castillo","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAAw0lEQVRIiWNgGAWjYJCCAzwMDHJgxgNStBiDGQlEWwPUktgAYhClhX/28YsH3lQcTp8fdvgh0BY7Od0GAlokzuUUHJxzJi134+00A6CWZGOzA4SsOcOTcJi3zSZ34+wEkJYDidsIaZGHaJFIN5yd/oE4LQZn2A+AbEmQl84h0hbDMzwMIL8YbpDOKTiQYECEX+TOsD/+AAwxefnZ6Zs/fKiwkyPsfQYeA4gLwSoNCCoHAfYHYEq+gSjVo2AUjIJRMBIBAH+jSZ1rXso0AAAAAElFTkSuQmCC","orcid":"","institution":"","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Iñaki","middleName":"Del Amo","lastName":"Castillo","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2025-03-14 17:38:17","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6228418/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-6228418/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":92032486,"identity":"e1fa6d67-45d0-45c2-a398-425264612c55","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-09-23 22:05:36","extension":"png","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":81551,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"capitalcostcomparison.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-6228418/v1/9baacc1a680dbe6175b0a951.png"},{"id":92032492,"identity":"117511e3-375c-4545-b836-2b3a01cf60df","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-09-23 22:05:36","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":620245,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"HybridPlasmaBasedEnergyGenerationSystem.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-6228418/v1/3c98714dc5987eac30589929.pdf"},{"id":92032731,"identity":"6279dba6-b086-4f0a-8315-ebafed73398e","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-09-23 22:13:36","extension":"png","order_by":2,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":25489,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"energydensitycomparison.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-6228418/v1/1abebcf825d82baf70a933e3.png"},{"id":92032822,"identity":"b09855da-7c28-4763-ab99-b8704b0b4220","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-09-23 22:21:36","extension":"png","order_by":3,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":94136,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"environmentalimpactcomparison.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-6228418/v1/22031fd417b4b7bb3f5efc63.png"},{"id":92033061,"identity":"24df9bdb-d475-43a1-9ee9-352c5da6d0b5","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-09-23 22:29:36","extension":"png","order_by":4,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":80768,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"paybackperiodcomparison.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-6228418/v1/d1fc20922e647b6fd2fc9b81.png"},{"id":92032487,"identity":"c3e5a965-3b7b-4728-8b4f-6d3b27f8fd9e","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-09-23 22:05:36","extension":"png","order_by":5,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":91772,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"scalabilitycomparison.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-6228418/v1/393fe229d1fa323f16448648.png"},{"id":92032491,"identity":"75a4be39-bb2c-45f4-aa4b-4a75315ed4cd","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-09-23 22:05:36","extension":"json","order_by":6,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":3798,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"0a73527510f44203918db4c7d3140f43.json","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-6228418/v1/2e653af83665581d55671820.json"},{"id":97148631,"identity":"e23fa526-ac07-49ab-8537-2b1a76801529","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-12-01 10:19:00","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":755797,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"HybridPlasmaBasedEnergyGenerationSystem.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-6228418/v1_covered_56d46807-0ba7-43ee-ac70-df4a7c5ccce6.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"Hybrid Plasma-Based Energy Generation System: A Disruptive Approach to Sustainable Power and Hydrogen Production","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Plasma Energy, Hydrogen Economy, Hydroelectric Storage, Renewable Energy, Energy Transition","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6228418/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-6228418/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eThe transition to sustainable and high-efficiency energy systems is imperative in addressing the global energy crisis, climate change, and geopolitical uncertainties. This paper presents a novel hybrid plasma-based energy generation system, designed to surpass the limitations of conventional nuclear and renewable energy technologies by integrating:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e1. High-efficiency plasma-to-electricity conversion: Leveraging advanced plasma discharge mechanisms to achieve efficiencies exceeding 85%.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e2. Residual thermal energy utilization for hydrogen production: Employing thermochemical processes to significantly reduce the energy intensity of hydrogen generation.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e3. Large-scale energy storage through hydroelectric reservoir integration: Enhancing grid stability and mitigating intermittency challenges inherent to renewables.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eComputational simulations, thermodynamic modeling, and techno-economic analyses reveal that the proposed system achieves an energy density 15.6 times higher than conventional nuclear power plants, while operating with zero carbon emissions. Additionally, the integration of hydroelectric storage solutions optimizes energy dispatchability, reducing reliance on grid-based storage and fossil-fuel peaker plants.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEconomic feasibility assessments indicate that the system enables a rapid return on investment (ROI) of approximately 1.5 years, compared to the 10+ years typically required for nuclear infrastructure amortization. The lower capital cost per installed megawatt, coupled with modular scalability, positions this technology as a competitive alternative for large-scale power generation, particularly in industrial applications and national energy grids.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe results underscore the disruptive potential of this technology in energy security, decarbonization, and long-term sustainability. This hybrid plasma system presents a viable pathway toward continuous, high-density, and cost-effective power generation, aligning with global energy transition strategies and the urgent need for carbon-neutral industrial solutions.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Hybrid Plasma-Based Energy Generation System: A Disruptive Approach to Sustainable Power and Hydrogen Production","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2025-09-23 22:05:31","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6228418/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"dd8e8e9d-e29f-40eb-938c-dd2acdb2635b","owner":[],"postedDate":"September 23rd, 2025","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"posted","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2025-12-01T10:17:51+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2025-09-23 22:05:31","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-6228418","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-6228418","identity":"rs-6228418","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"8U1c8b4HqxoKbykW_rLl7","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}